Is your baby struggling because of conventional dairy?
*just as a disclaimer- I love raw dairy and long fermented sourdough! This isn’t a bash against any of these foods but rather that sometimes they need to be eliminated for a time to heal the gut especially when it comes to eczema and things like ear infections and colic. Often times conventional dairy and gluten is also being eaten and eliminating it all makes it easier to pin-point the trigger.
Changing up diet can be an emotional conversation because so much of our lives revolve around food and we get so accustomed to what we know how to make. When I used to hear that other moms removed dairy from their diet for their babies, I couldn’t imagine doing that myself. I ate dairy ALL of the time. But I heard countless success stories of their babies being “colicky” and screaming hours of the day, super gassy, inconsistent poops of either constipation or diarrhea, and simply removing conventional dairy improved their babies symptoms.
It was not until my third baby started presenting symptoms that I truly felt that I could handle removing dairy, because that seemed easier than dealing with the symptoms. Little did I know that was just the beginning of many foods being removed on our healing journey, and let me tell you first hand it is so worth it. It is hard, and some moments are harder than others but I would do it all over again to see the success that I have.
There are many symptoms that are common, but not normal in babies, and may be significantly improved by removing dairy. Some moms see an immediate difference, but it can take 6-8 weeks to clear and some report symptoms getting worse before they get better. Poop is generally the last symptom to improve and we are looking for a “baseline” diaper which is different for breastfed vs. formula fed babies. When diapers reach baseline, that is proof that their little gut has healed. The Dairy-Free Diet- Breastfeeding group on Facebook is IMMENSELY helpful and has details on exactly how you know your baby has reached baseline.
Symptoms that could be related to a trigger food in the diet:
Very fussy and gassy baby
constipation, diarrhea or a combination of both
consistent green or mucousy stools. Any blood in stool is usually indicative of a food intolerance or allergy. It is irritating the gut lining and causing it to bleed. Sometimes blood can show up if there is a very fast letdown, but usually it is an intolerance and that is more serious than green or mucousy.
acid reflux or vomiting
re-occuring ear infections or swollen tonsils/adenoids
cradle cap and baby acne
eczema or rashes
bad diaper rashes
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these symptoms show that their is an upset in the gut and in order to heal we need to remove the trigger. What i’ve seen is the majority of the time that trigger is dairy. Sometimes, as in the case for my daughter, it was more than one food. Wheat and soy are the next biggest offenders, but there is a list and the most important thing is to identify your babies trigger. If symptoms have not resolved by 6 weeks of having the food removed, it is likely a different trigger.
If you are suspecting something that you’re eating to be upsetting your baby, start a food journal. Track everything you eat and what you notice in your baby. Yes, its a lot but I did it, and once you get in a rhythm it is not too bad. Do this for two weeks and see if you start to pick up on a pattern. My advice is to only cut out one food at a time and give it time to see if it heals. I know it can be so hard to wait, especially when the symptoms are hindering life, but if you cut out multiple foods at once and baby gets better you wont know which one it is.
** if you don’t want to cut out a food group yet there are some other things you could try first! I tried these and I still needed to cut them completely out but it could be worth a shot!
add in a digestive enzyme and take it before eating whatever food you suspect to be the issue. Sometimes if our digestion isn’t optimal the food we eat isn’t completely broken down and the digestive enzyme helps break it down much more which could help baby digest it.
Some women have success with raw milk/cheese or goat milk products. I am a huge fan of raw milk and have found an awesome farm we used to drive out to and buy it from, but during this time of healing we have completely cut out dairy- even raw.
As far as gluten- the other top offender especially for eczema, sourdough is still gluten and is best cut out. It is easier to digest, but it is still gluten and its important when cutting out gluten to cut it out completely because even a small amount triggers the immune system. we had success cutting gluten out for about 6 months and then adding long fermented sourdough back in!!
***To help ease symptoms in the mean time if your little one has a lot of digestive issues, “gripe water” as its often referred to can be so helpful. Earthley carries Infant Tummy relief and it is worth every penny. The whole family can use it! We used it when our youngest was a couple months old, and I take it if my stomach is ever feeling upset and it really works. I am a huge fan of Earthley products! Earthley also carries digestive enzymes such as their Digest-Support.
I hope that this information makes you feel empowered. For me it felt like a relief to know there was something I could do to help my baby and I wasn’t stuck dealing with the aftermath of ear infections and eczema and digestive issues. To this day, I am often told at some of the doctors offices, that diet has nothing to do with these things, but I have seen otherwise —and in my mind why not at least try?
If you know a new mom— send this along!! This was something I wish I knew with my first two kiddos who I think would have benefited immensely, and I think every woman should be informed so they can make their own decision that’s best for them and their baby.